Alison’s Pantry Raw Power

 

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Alison’s Pantry have added a tasty new seed, nut and fruit based blend called Raw Power to their fantastic range. Raw Power mix is a nutrient dense blend of goji berries, raisins, sultanas, coconut chips, Brazil nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hulled buckwheat along with diced dates and apricot pieces.

It is naturally sweetened with real fruit and designed to be eaten for breakfast. It is delicious paired with Greek yoghurt, or Almond milk if you are Paelo inclined, blended into a smoothie or for a nutrient loaded breakfast on the run, or eaten just as it is!

 

Raw Power is:
Naturally gluten free
High in Fiber
High in protein (Plant based)
Full of good fats
Antioxidants
Has no added sugars or colours

 

Presentation 10/10 – looking at the product you get a really good sense of all the different goodies that it contains and you just know it’s going to taste great. It also looks colourful which when you’re talking healthy foods, this isn’t a priority but it really does make it all look more appealing

Flavour 10/10 – With a lot of different textures and flavours they all offset each other rather well but if you feel like picking out a select favourite, they’re a nice and ‘clean’ option to be able to sort through. Plus, knowing that you can have a tasty snack that is so much more healthier than grabbing a chocolate bar, just has to be a good option for a busy family.
Obviously it’s not something you’d give young children, but my 7 year old twins will happily munch on this

Mother Earth – Brekkie on the Go

Brekkie on the Go

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With Mother Earth Brekkie on the Go, busy people can now enjoy a delicious breakfast on the run. Made from toasted muesli bites and dried fruit and nuts, it contains all the protein and fibre of a bowl of toasted muesli. All in a handy, single serve pack. No milk needed!

 

 

 

Brekkie on the Go is a tasty and wholesome breakfast in a handy single-serve pack – perfect for busy mornings and eating on the run:

 

 

 

 

 

• Toasted muesli bites made from NZ wholegrain oats, nuts and seeds
• Fresh, best quality nuts and dried fruit
• All the protein and fibre of a bowl of toasted muesli* in a handy single-serve pack
• No milk needed
• No artificial colours or flavours

 

 

 

Available in three tasty flavours:

• Apricot & Almond
• Cashew & Cranberry
• Hazelnut & Dark Chocolate

 

We were so lucky to be given the opportunity to try these amazing products which was great because we had been looking at them for a while as we’re ALL trying to start the process of making time for breakfast in the mornings. The kids are great but the adults never seem to have time. But I thought I would check with the rest of the family first before purchasing.
Personally I think they’re a great idea, life is so busy these days that if you can take something with you (and even eat once you get to work), it has to be an improvement. Add the fact that it’s healthy and well I guess you just can’t go wrong.

So we tried the different flavours and came to the same conclusion about each flavour that as a whole, they could have used a little more flavour. The muesli bites themselves were missing the ‘boost’ that I was expecting from them. The nuts and fruit bits did add to the flavour but I would still like to see a little more taste involved. We were also a little disappointed in the proportions of fruit/nut/chocolate to muesli bites.
However in saying that, there aren’t many breakfasts out there that are bursting with flavour like I was expecting, so to be fair, overall as a breakfast on the go, they were pretty good.
My children ALL totally loved them and we have packed a few packets to take away with us as I would rather be able to offer the kids something like this than sweets to snack on.
All in all I would probably rate them a solid 7 out of 10

Bakers Delight Christmas

Bakers Delight

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Christmas is a time where we celebrate family, our beliefs if we have them and it is also a time we indulge in some of our favourite foods. So when Bakers Delight contacted us last year with the offer of trying some of their Christmas Treats, I was more than a little excited.
I’m a huge fan of Christmas and ALL that it involves, so for me, waiting for Christmas is a time where anticipation builds and builds as we start the lead up to the special day.
One of the things that makes me ‘feel’ that Christmas really is on it’s way is having Christmas Treats in the house, there is something about the devine smell that seems to waft through the entire household. Whether it be a Christmas Cake, Christmas Tart or even things like Candy Canes – the smells are a defined Christmassy ‘aroma’

This year when Bakers Delight contacted us again we were more than ready and willing to taste the flavour filled temptations that we have come to expect from them. This time however we also received the Christmas Mince Tarts as well as the Christmas cake and I had to hide them so we could taste at a time we could really just savour and enjoy.

Again I was reminded of how good everything looks. You get that sense of ‘homemade’ that you don’t get from many products these days and waiting for our Christmas ‘moment’ just couldn’t come soon enough.

First to make it to the taste table was the Christmas Mince Tarts.
Mmmmm with a shortbread base that is just devinely melt in your mouth perfection, I can tell you right now that I am totally hooked and I WILL be buying more of these. Sometimes I fine Mince Tarts to be a little too sweet, or even a little to dense in the mixture, but these were just amazing. Take my advice and try some for yourself….you wont be sorry !!

The Christmas Cake – once again……is  ‘just like Grandma used to make’ and while it looks rich, that couldn’t be further from the truth. With just the right mix of flavour and texture, this cake would look just perfect on the Christmas table to be shared with everyone.
No peel is definately a highlight for me, and I’m often put off buying fruit products because they so often have peel and it’s just not something I enjoy.

Presentation 10/10 – these products really do look amazing and just like the ones Grandma used to make
Flavour 10/10 – I totally recommend these. If you can get to Bakers Delight…bring a bit of Christmas home to the rest of the family – they’ll love you for it.

100% Nutz Peanut Butter

100% Nutz Peanut Butter is a small family business in Auckland, New Zealand that is passionate about offering high quality food. We want to give you the choice of buying good food and experiencing great natural taste while trusting in the quality of our brand.

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Recently our Hamilton members were given the opportunity to choose a flavour of Peanut Butter from the amazing 100% Nutz company, to review.

 

 

•  Introducing the natural, medium roast peanut butter that has no added sugar or salt and has the healthiest peanut (the high-oleic peanut out of Australia) as its only ingredient!
As well as boasting the NZ Heart Foundation Tick, this peanut butter has won a 2010 NZ Food Awards Prize too!

 

 

 

•  Introducing the lightly salted, dark roasted peanut butter for those who like more traditional peanut butter and don’t want added sugar either!
As always we only use high-oleic peanuts that are especially high in healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants!

 

 

 

•  Introducing NZ’s first chocolate peanut spread that is the healthier choice for a chocolate spread.
As well as being made with NZs Donovans chocolates you will just adore how this NZ Food awards Finalist has 70% less sugar than most chocolate spreads and higher in protein too! Kids will love it.

Brown Brothers Part 2

Brown Brothers Wine !!

I think by now that we all know I’m partial to a glass of wine (or two), but I am definately no expert. I don’t claim to know all the terms that our amazing wine tasters/judges use, but I can tell you what I enjoy, and what will grace my glass, time and time again.
And one of my favourite companies is Brown Brothers.

So a few weeks ago, when we were offered the opportunity to introduce some MORE of our members to the  Brown Brothers wines, we just knew we had to share. We have already introduced so many of our members to these wines, and this was a chance to share EVEN MORE !!!

So here are our wines (please note these are the same reviews from me written previously)

Moscato Rosa

• My first impression was that it looked pretty…yes I know that sounds strange to say about a wine bottle etc, but I just found it really appealing and I couldn’t wait to try it. Perhaps it was the pretty pink colour.
  A little dryer than the Moscato, it is a lovely sweet wine with a lovely flavour.
  Now like I said,  I an no wine expert, but I do know what I like, and once again Brown Brothers have provided a temptation for the tastebuds.
  While I think the Moscato is still my favourite, this one will be finding it’s way into our cupboard again.

 

 

 

Cienna Rossa

• We already knew we loved the Cienna, so I was very interested to see what everyone thought of the Cienna Rossa which once again has the beautiful rich flavour but has the added bubbles which add to the taste sensation.
  If you check out their website HERE, you will see that they comment.
  This super Sweet, fruits of the forest-scented, fizzy wine from the legendary Brown Brothers Estate, is a winner. Drink it with chocolate dipped strawberries for one of the most decadent flavour combinations I have ever experienced.’
  If this is the case…..then I say bring on the wine and strawberrries.

 

 

 

Crouchen Riesling

• This was the one wine I hadn’t had the opportunity to try in the past so I was looking forward to this, being that I normally love a Riesling.
  I found it a very ‘full’ flavour and perhaps not as sweet as other Rieslings that I’ve tried in the past.
  On their website they state that this is a wine that would compliment any Thai Curry and I have to admit that I think this would be the idea time to open a bottle and just ‘enjoy’ the flavours that flow from the bottle.
  Although I did love it (I haven’t found a Brown Brothers wine I don’t love yet), I think it would still come after the Moscato in regards to what is my favourite

 

LASCo

We are a Fresh New Business with New Innovations in Food Cooking Science……
This didn’t all happen by chance we identified that a high quality low fat Salami product was missing on the market, so we started making a traditional artisan-style product to fill this gap. We also acknowledged the need to develop a healthier product than the traditional cured products.
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All LASCo handcrafted Salami is:

– 90% Fat Free
– Gluten, Soy & Dairy free
– Pure NZ Beef
– Hot Smoked, not fermented
– Low in Sodium
– Rich in trace elements & minerals
– Low in cholesterol

Marlborough Garlic
The LASCo Marlborough Garlic Salami is one of those Salami’s that will always remain a favourite. I’m a huge fan of garlic so it’s  no surprise that after the Kaitaia Fire, this was my favourite of the Salami’s (although it was pretty hard to choose)
With a beautiful garlic flavour that you will LOVE, this Salami is available in a 300gm Roll, a full roll (approx 660-700gms), a 150 gram sliced pack and is also included in the Three Flavour packs

Italian, New York Cut
The LASCo Italian, New York Cut Salami was probably the Salami I found that had the mildest flavour of the lot. However when I say mild, I don’t mean that it is lacking in flavour because nothing could be further from the truth. It just didn’t have the hit of garlic or the bite of the chilli’s that the others had.
This tasty Salami is  available in a 300gm Roll, a full roll (approx 660-700gms), a 150 gram sliced pack and is also included in the Three Flavour packs.

Pepperoni
The Pepperoni Salami I could see being a family favourite. Once again full of flavour but one that the kids will love as well (my kids LOVED it). This would be probably the more general Salami that would suit almost everyone (and it goes GREAT on a Farrah Wrap with a bit of cheese, and any other bits you have lying around.)
This tasty Salami is  available in a 300gm Roll, a full roll (approx 660-700gms), a 150 gram sliced pack and is also included in the Three Flavour packs.

Kaitaia Fire
The Salami with the hit of chilli’s that will leave your mouth knowing that it has just experienced a taste sensation, but without leaving you running for that cold drink to ease the burning sensation.
The Kaitaia Fire has a tonne of flavour and was probably my favourite on the night we had the opportunity to sample these amazing Salami’s.
This tasty Salami is  available in a 300gm Roll, a full roll (approx 660-700gms), a 150 gram sliced pack and is also included in the Three Flavour packs.

Dragon’s Breath
Do you like the Kaitaia Fire Salami ?
Want something with a bit more ‘oomph’ ?
Then you’re going to want to sample the Dragon’s Breath Salami.
Rather than just having chilli’s in the Salami itself, this Salami also marinates in the juice of the chilli meaning you’re going to get a hit you wont forget in a hurry. Now I have to confess that I didn’t try this particular Salami but a few of our members did so I look forward to hearing what they have to say

Overall Impression ?
LASCo are a company who are passionate about their products and providing a healthier Salami for the Families of NZ.
They have ensured that only the best ingredients go into their foods and when you have the opportunity to try them, you’ll agree that not only are they healthier, but they’re tastier too.
Available on their website, you can also visit them at different markets, and have the opportunity to try these tasty treats for yourselves.
10/10 from us here at MUMSReview

Arano

Fresh air, sunshine and trees that grow lush and green. All that adds up to some pretty amazing fresh fruit; the only fruit we use to make Arano juices.
So it’s only right we make sure you get the best of the fruit. Arano juices are as pure, natural and healthy as we can make them.

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Orange
100% real NZ orange juice and nothing else. It tastes just like a toe tingling ´real orange´ because that´s what it is. We don´t add anything because we don´t have to. When NZ deals us oranges this good, why mess with nature?

Grapefruit
For passionate juice drinkers this is a powerful, knock-your-socks-off real grapefruit taste. And that´s because we only use 99.9% grapefruit and a dash of Potassium Sorbate.

Apricot
Mighty like King-Kong, these little fruits pack a punch full of fantastic flavour. Sophisticated and just a hint of tart comes in this magic little creation

Peach
The taste of summer comes to life in our subtle and sweet peachy-fine juice. Just like the girl next door, its one likeable, pleasant juice.

 

Pear
An oldie but a goody, this harmony of delicate pears is still a fab flavour-ite today. Charming and authentic, there´s no mistaking that lush pear taste. Doo-wop!

Plum
Fabulously different and a little bit out there, our NZ plum juice is as smooth as a red-carpet star strutting their stuff

 

 

 

I’ve been a firm fan of Arano drinks for many many years now so I was excited to hear about more new flavours that were available.
My first ‘introduction’ to Arano was their orange juice. Filled with REAL orange flavour this was a juice that didn’t leave you with the bitter aftertaste that I find a lot of other supposedly real orange juices leave you with.
Deciding on how much I had loved that, I tried the Grapefruit which once again has that grapefruit ‘tang’ but without tasting sweetened or too sour, this became my favourite drink to grab when I was looking for a drink on the run.

Now to the new flavours !!

My favourite was definately the Pear. It had that summer fresh taste that is just so refreshing that you feel like you literally have a mouthful of a pear. I can see this appearing frequently over summer as a drink that totally quenches your thirst.
Actually all the flavours had that ‘real fruit’ sensation about them that had you believing you were eating (or at least drinking) the particular fruit that was in the bottle.
Size wise I love these bottles. They’re easy to grab and go and drink along the way.
My only problem since tasting them is that I have only been able to find the orange and grapefruit at our local supermarket so I need to find out where exactly they are available.

Big thank you to Arano for the opportunity to offer these awesome juices.

Passionberry

Put the PASSION into your party!
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Passionberry
A truly authentic strawberry cocktail PASSIONBERRY looks great served in a sophisticated martini glass and is like a delicious strawberry slushy – only much better and with some pure alcohol added to get the passion in the party started! It’s also naturally high in Vitamin C and lower in calories than many other cocktails as well as surprisingly affordable – great for your next party

Available in 4 yummy flavours, these are a tastes sensation you wont want to miss.

The ORIGINAL – where it all started! Passionberry Original is a ready to drink alcoholic cocktail made with 50% real NZ strawberries. Like a strawberry slushy but way better! Only the best sweet sun ripened strawberries and pure distilled alcohol are used in PASSIONBERRY ORIGINAL. 725ml bottle serves 5 standard pours 9% Al/Vol.

PASSIONBERRY COCONUT – Sweet smelling coconuts: Passionberry Coconut is a ready to drink alcoholic cocktail made with 50% real NZ strawberries. Like a strawberry slushy but way better with hints of tropical island coconuts! Only the best sweet sun ripened strawberries and pure distilled alcohol are used

PASSIONBERRY GREEN APPLE – Blending the tangy taste of fresh citrus with berries – Yum! Passionberry Green Apple is a ready to drink alcoholic cocktail made with 50% real NZ strawberries. Like a strawberry slushy but way better! Only the best sweet sun ripened strawberries and pure distilled alcohol are used

PASSIONBERRY VANILLA – Simply sweet and balanced to perfection! Passionberry Vanilla is a ready to drink alcoholic cocktail made with 50% real NZ strawberries. Like a strawberry slushy but way better with the smooth aftertaste of sweet vanilla! Only the best sweet sun ripened strawberries and pure distilled alcohol are used

Whitestone Cheese

In the limestone country of the central South Island, New Zealand, there is a place touched by a kind of magic that can’t be found elsewhere in the world. It’s in the air, the water, the pastures and the ancient white rock that inspired the name of Whitestone.
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Windsor Blue
Supreme Champion 2006, judges described it as a creamy blue with a soft buttery texture and a silky smooth mouth feel. A creamy blue with a soft buttery texture and a silky smooth mouth feel. It has a unique blue culture that dissects the rich curd and combines to produce a delicate flavour that intensifies with ageing.

     The Whitestone family 

The Whitestone family is committed to exceeding customer expectations, by creating world class cheeses through innovative excellence and teamwork.

If you’re not regularly a huge lover of blue cheese I think this one from Whitestone Cheeses might just change your opinion.
It’s soft, creamy and buttery texture  with a mild blue flavour is a taste sensation.
Easy to eat on it’s own or to put on a platter with other treats such as dried fruits and the like.

As well as providing the Windsor Blue on a platter for our Mums to try, we decided to create a Blue Cheese Dip to compliment our Buffalo Wings and this gorgeous cheese most definately delivered in this as well.
We made sure that the Windsor Blue flavour wasn’t hidden within the dip, but gave yet another pleasurable facet to the Whitestone experience, and it was amazing to see people that are not Blue Cheese fans, absolutely loving what was provided for them.

Kapiti Kitchen

Our aim is simple – to create delicious, natural syrups which are great value. Craft and care go into every bottle, every step of the way. We do our own squeezing, blending, juicing and zesting. Why? Because we can taste the difference and believe you will too. Plus you’ll love our simple New Zealand made bottles, it keeps things local and we figure people prefer to pay for what’s inside.
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Lemon, Lime & Bitters
Freshly squeezed and zested with a dash of real angostura bitters, the seemingly secret extract of tropical plants and herbs brings a bittersweet note to the sour duo. Awaken an appetite with a Mojito of rum, mint and soda, or soothe the stomach with soda over ice

Of the 3 flavours we were lucky enough to try on the night, this was probably my favourite (although only just). With a flavour that wakes the senses with a real slap, I totally fell in love.
I can see this featuring rather a lot over summer as a totally refreshing drink (or in those summer cocktails by the BBQ)

 

 

Rhubarb & Ginger
Synonymous with spring, the stewed and strained rhubarb offers a beautiful spectrum of flavours. A refreshing and tart taste delicately infused with ginger heat. Top up a sparkling wine, simply serve with soda, or generously drizzle over apple crumble and vanilla ice cream

The second of the 3 flavours we had the opportunity taste on the night was yet another taste sensation. For me the rhubarb was reasonably subtle while the ginger just enhanced the whole experience.
While we had it as a refreshingly cold drink on the night, I’d also be interested to see how it works as a warming drink on a cold night as well. So make sure you stay tuned to see what we think

 

 

Elderflower
Delicate elderflowers are soaked and infused with orange and lemon zest, then blended with the finest extract to give rounded floral notes. A delicate, honey-sweet aroma balanced by citrus seasoning. Tempting in pancakes, tantalising in icing, captivating with champagne.

Last but not least, the 3rd of the flavours we had on the night. We had members who mixed it with their wine which I had to admit, was pretty nice.
Trying it on it’s own I was remembering back to other Elderflower products that I’ve had the change to try (and been unimpressed with), but like anything, we shouldn’t judge one product on what another one performs like and this was definately the case this time. This had a gorgeous citrusy type flavour that really did leave you wanting more.

 

 

Now Kapiti Kitchen have many other flavours that I am extremely eager to try after tasting these 3 flavours and they are readily available at several different places (including many New Worlds) so I can see them appearing in my supermarket trolley relatively soon.
My only problem ?
Which one do I try  next !!!